Asia Society will present “Desire & Solitude: The Cinema of Isabel Sandoval” from July 9 to 12 at its New York headquarters, featuring the theatrical preview of Sandoval’s new feature “Moonglow,” three of her earlier films and two classic titles that influenced her latest work. The series is organized by Asia Society Curator of Film Inney Prakash and Isabel Sandoval, and is co-presented by Asian CineVision.
All screenings will take place at Asia Society, 725 Park Ave. at 70th Street in Manhattan, with tickets priced at $15 for the general public. A limited number of complimentary tickets will be available for students with ID at the box office on the day of each screening.
The program opens July 9 with “Señorita,” Sandoval’s 2011 feature about a trans woman in a small Philippine town, followed by a Q&A moderated by Prakash. On July 10, the lineup continues with “Aparisyon (Apparition),” Sandoval’s 2012 drama set in 1971 near Manila, followed by a discussion moderated by Asian CineVision’s Kristopher Montello.
On July 11, audiences can see “Lingua Franca,” Sandoval’s U.S.-set film about an undocumented trans Filipina caregiver in Brooklyn, with a post-screening conversation moderated by critic Genevieve Yue. Later that evening, Sandoval’s new feature “Moonglow,” described by Asia Society as a noirish moral tale set in 1979 Manila, will screen with a Q&A moderated by critic and programmer David Schwartz.
The series concludes July 12 with screenings of Max Ophuls’ “The Earrings of Madame de …” and Jean-Pierre Melville’s “Le Samouraï,” two films cited as influences on “Moonglow.” Both screenings will be introduced by Sandoval.
Sandoval is an acclaimed Filipina filmmaker and actress based in the United States whose body of work has explored identity, migration and intimacy through a distinctive visual style. She made history with “Lingua Franca,” which premiered at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival, where she became the first transgender woman of color to compete in the festival’s history. Her major milestones also include writing, directing and often starring in her own films, as well as directing for television and fashion projects beyond independent cinema.
In 2020, Sandoval was named to the TOFA100 (The Outstanding Filipinos in America) roster for her emerging work in entertainment and her trailblazing contributions to trans and Asian cinema.
